Sand and Wind
by FlameArchanist
Summary: Slowly their daily routine is being broken by unlawful urges. GaaraTemari, We can't let Itachi and Sasuke have all the incestual fun.
1. Default Chapter

**_Disclaimer:_** If I owned Naruto it would not be for children.

**_A/N:_** Originally I made this in response to a request on AdultFFN for more Gaara/Temari fun, but since I am having so much fun with it I decided to make a slightly milder version here. There is no smut yet, but trust me, Gaara is a pouncy boy.

**Sand and Wind**

Frantically she raised her fan once again sending a cutting hurricane of wind towards her opponent. It was no use. In the glorious chaos of nature wind had supreme control over the small particles of stone commonly known as sand.

Unfortunately for her this sand had a mind of its own. No matter how many times she tried to blow it back it kept coming for her. It spread along the ground grasping at her feet as she tried to run.

"I do not think that is wise, Sister." Temari shuddered as she felt her foot sink slightly and had the unnerving experience of sand clasping her leg tightly in an ever upwards motion.

"Why do you always run?" Through her climbing fear her brother's deep voice agitated her even farther. He stood at a distance watching his blood saturated sand steal her sanity piece by piece.

"Have I ever hurt you before?" She was digging at the sand now. Every fistful she managed to claw off reformed immediately onto the vice on her left leg. She stood still. _'There is no escaping him.'_ Her mind turned treacherous as hope abandoned her.

"Am I all that bad?" Flat green eyes bored into her bowed head. She knew that every couple of seconds his right eye would twitch from impatience at her silence. A warm hand grabbed her chin and forced her eyes to meet his.

_'He has never actually touched me before.'_ Temari raced to hide her confusion before Gaara saw it. This is where our tale breaks free from the monotony of their daily sparring sessions although each one ended with Temari's defeat. It had become ritual for Gaara to leave once his sand had her trapped. For some reason of his own Gaara decided to stay and watch his captured sibling. He had observed the will to struggle seep out of her and watched as hope deserted her.

_'Her face is so expressive.'_ The next thing Gaara knew he was less than a foot away from her with his hand out to raise her face. He studied her near dead eyes and her ever so slightly turned down mouth. He brushed a grainy thumb over her cheekbone before releasing her and walking away.

The sand slunk after him like a mangy stray. When every grain of sand had left her body she slumped to the ground her face buried in her hands. She took in a shaky breath forced herself back on her feet and with one last glance in the direction her brother went, she made the short walk home in a couple jumps.

Gaara never showed up for dinner that night. Neither Kankuro nor their new guardian seemed inclined to comment on the demon vessels' absence. Temari picked at her bowl of rice unwilling to eat, fearing that it would come back to haunt her. She rose without a word towards her dining companions and retreated to her plain room.

She reached out a hand and touched the wall to the right of the door. Through that barrier was Gaara's room, with his unused bed and his worn floor. Her eye went from the familiar planks to her tidy bed over her dresser with the slightly cracked mirror. Her fan leaned against her wardrobe and its presence alone calmed her slightly.

She untied the knot on her village symbol and dropped it with a clink onto her dresser. The ribbons holding up her hair followed. She sat at the small stool in front of the mirror and brushed out the days tangles. She made a face at her reflection.

_'I look strange with my hair down.'_ She rose stretching as she went. Undoing her red sash and draping it over the closet door which was slightly ajar. Temari reached into the dark depths of her closet and without looking selected her soft pajamas. They were plain. The cotton was worn and comfortable.

She rolled down her fishnet leg coverings and pulled her dress over her head. Temari slipped the faded green fabric shirt over her head and pulled on the pants which were slightly too big. Luckily she had hips or they would be constantly falling off. Not that she ever walked around in her pajamas.

At least she did not when no one had any chance of seeing her. She jumped into bed not bothering with the neatly folded down covers. Her eyes slid shut and she gripped her pillow in a death hug. She might be prepared for the dreams tonight.

He watched her. Every night he watched her. Since they lived in the desert she never found it strange to see small amounts of sand on her windowsill. He could spy on her all he wished. Through his sand he watched as she took down her dirty blonde hair and brushed it smooth.

His fingers rose of their own volition stopping right before his fantasy was broken by the intrusion of his pale digits. A small upturn at the side of his mouth appeared as she made a face at herself. He watched as piece by piece her clothing met the closet floor. Something was familiar about her sleepwear.

His brow furrowed as he tried to place the feeling of recognition. His mind worked over the problem as she slid into her bed and held onto her pillow for dear life. Suddenly, after five minutes of watching her body slip into sleep it hit him.

The pajamas were his.

**_A/N:_** I am going to actually try to make a story out of this couple request and not just have them jump each other. Although there will be plenty of that later.

**_Gaara:_** (pounce)

_**Flame:**_ Not yet! mutters Damn horny teenagers.


	2. Unusual Greetings

_**Disclaimer:**_ This is the last time you are going to see one so...I don't own the characters.

Temari did not want to wake up. She wanted to keep her position on her sleep tousled bed and reclaim the gentle dream. Too bad for her it was morning and another day teetered on the brink of existence. She yawned and stretched working out the kinks from a nights sleep.

Rising from her nest on the bed she stumbled to the closet to find a clean outfit. Her back still ached from all her activity yesterday and she vainly tried to ease the stiffness in her shoulders.

Two strong hands made themselves known to her as they massaged her sore muscles. She sighed and leaned back into their touch. The hands moved lower alternating hard and soft strokes. They reached her waist and journeyed up her back again.This time slipping up under her top.

Smooth skin slid under rough fingertips. A soft moan urged the pair to continue. Temari snapped back into her senses. She gasped and whirled around. There stood Gaara standing with his hands outstretched as if reaching for her. Both were motionless, each waiting for the other to break the silence. Finally Gaara allowed his hands to drop and hang lifeless at his sides.

"Get ready. We journey to Konoha in an hour." He turned and strode from the room as if his sister had not just rejected his thoughtful gesture. The door clicked shut and Temari moved in a whirlwind of activity. She was fully dressed in less than five minutes and was tucking her fan into its usual place.

With one last glance at her slightly reddened face she left the room unconsciously mimicking Gaara's stride and confidently joined her two brothers. Kankuro rose from his seat on the steps and shouldered his faithful puppet and both followed their silent sibling at blinding speeds. The last thing on Temari's mind was the strange episode that occurred earlier.

The only question running through her head was, _'Why are we going to Leaf?'_ It seemed that only Gaara was trusted with whatever reason they were dashing for their shaky allies. Trees blurred into each other as they reached the edge of the desert and flung themselves into the forests. They moved as one unit. No words passed between the trio yet each moved with precision as if it had been a planned performance. _'At this rate we are going to be in the village by nightfall.'_

Temari's mind raced wondering what was so important for them to be traveling at such speeds. Four masked figures joined them as they crossed the border into Fire Country. The cloaked figures made no move to stop the teens only falling into step with them. Soon the walls of Konoha loomed over them and there was barely a pause as they flashed through the gates.

Startled villagers and children stared in awe as they watched the ninjas fly past. They skidded to a stop before the Hokage's door. The ANBU leader motioned for his group to stay with the Sand-nins as he entered the innermost office. The door opened quickly and they were ushered inside.

Once he was standing in front of Godamie, Gaara slipped a small package out from one of his many pockets and without ceremony dropped it on her desk. He folded his arms and waited for the Hokage to react. Tsunade picked up the paper wrapped parcel and quickly divested it of its brown covering. A small box accompanied by a slip of paper was uncovered. Quickly reading through the note she opened the box to reveal a signet ring.

"Go find Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino." She paused for a minute as if contemplating. "Get Hyuuga Hinata as well." One of the ANBU team slipped out to search for the females. "You may stay in the village to rest. Rooms will be made available to you." The trio was shuffled off their importance gone once the box left their possession. They were housed in the same building that they inhabited during the Chuunin Exam.

Temari leaned against her balcony railing for a second before jumping down and heading towards the training grounds. She had two shadows. The sun was setting as she reached the almost empty practice grounds. Only one figure remained honing his body into a more perfect weapon.

"Uchiha." She called curtly receiving a glance and a quick nod before attention was diverted once again to the thick pole he had been pummeling. She took out her throwing stars and began to perfect her aim.

Slowly the sounds of flesh hitting wood stopped and only the whisper of shurikens embedding themselves into their target could be heard. She glanced over and caught the raven haired boy staring at her.

"What do you want?" Her voice was soft almost sounding like an invitation even to her own ears.

"Why are you here?" His voice was rough as if this was the first time he had used it in a long time.

"On a mission, nothing more." She ignored his raised eyebrow and released the weapon she had been holding. It missed the middle of the target by half an inch. Temari could feel a slight source of warmth behind her and to the right. The prodigy of Konoha had placed himself less than a foot away from her.

She turned her face to the side her eyes locating him immediately. A thrill warning of danger ran up her spine but she could not find the strength to move. He came closer wrapping his arms around her. Pale lips descended upon her. They never reached their target.

A wall of sand erupted from the ground beneath them completely hiding them from each other. A cruel grip wrapped around her forearm and she was dragged from the training grounds. The sand dropped and Sasuke was left alone half wondering if it had been a dream. Her captor refused to speak as he led her back to their rooms.

Her arm was hurting and she knew she would have bruises in the morning. Without a word Gaara thrust her into her designated room and slammed the door shut with enough force to almost break it. She shook as she heard his footsteps enter the room next to hers. Gently she prodded her arm and winced at the flash of pain. _'What was that about?'_ She wondered as she readied herself for a restless fearful night.


	3. The Morning After

**_Disclaimer:_** If you don't believe me from the first two chapters you aren't going to believe me now when I say that I don't own the characters....Although I do keep Gaara in my closet.

Morning came all too soon. The sun's timid rays flashed across her tightly shut eyes and beckoned her. Temari rose and dressed in her unfamiliar room. Her movements were lethargic as her body uncoiled itself when she moved. She hesitated before opening her door and descending to the common room.

The warm sunlight rejoined her as she left the dark hallway. A long wooden table sat in the center surrounded by little green mats. A side table held the food that was granted to the visiting shinobi. She knelt by the table a couple places away from Kankuro and Gaara. Temari attempted to look normal though she was aware of her face betraying her thoughts. She never got the courage to look up at her siblings choosing instead to give her food more attention than it deserved.

She knew that Gaara had not even acknowledged her presence and that Kankuro would be shifting his eyes back and forth between them searching for a sign that would give him a clue about the uneasy silence.

Sure Gaara never was one for conversation, but usually Temari came in with a bright smile and a new topic to argue over. Fortunately it was not a complete silence as Konoha woke up around them and simple people started out their peaceful day.

She was becoming less alert to her surroundings. Her bowl gleamed in the rising sun and her eyes could not leave the cool porcelain. Temari slowly became aware of the miniscule particles of sand sliding their way along the table.

Whenever she put her full attention onto a particular area of it all motion would stop. As soon as she looked away faint glimpses of movement caught her eye. 'What is he up to?' She wondered in no small amount of fear. Ever so slowly the tabletop was encased in sand.

The red brown mass went fluidly over her bowl, ruining any food that was left within its ceramic haven. She could not move. Her eyes darted down to find that her entire body was already being smothered by Gaara's weapon. She lifted her dark eyes and they clashed with emotionless jade green ones.

His face was a mask carefully constructed to match his actual visage. Fingers wound around her throat just above where the sand ended. She knew they would be pale despite the sand that lingered there. Pressure was being applied and her vision grew foggy.

_'This can't be happening! He wouldn't do this to me!'_ Frantic thoughts ran through her head as her body refused to answer her mind's commands. Gasping for breath she tried to look at the real Gaara, but only the clone sat there.

It paid no attention to the fact that the original of him was committing cold blooded murder right down the table from it. _'Of course his clone wouldn't mind. This is Gaara. He loves death. He loves it more than anything else. Maybe...if I let him kill me...he would love me too.'_

Lids fluttered shut over dark blue eyes as the brain was deprived of oxygen. Suddenly it was too much of a bother to keep consciousness. She slipped into darkness. Temari woke gasping.

Her eyes darted to every corner of the room to make sure she was alone. Dark eyes flitted over the plain brown walls, a single window to the outside world, a cheap overused wardrobe and a small chipped and scarred bedside table.

After confirming her solitude her eyes latched onto the window where a pale streak across the horizon announced that dawn was not far away. She allowed her tense body to fall limply back into the warm bedding. Temari forced herself to calm down and regulated her lungs back down to normal.

_'It was a dream. Only a strange chemical reaction in the brain that causes a person to see strange things.'_ She rationalized to herself. It took a couple more minutes of that soothing mantra before she was able to get the disturbing vision out of her mind.

She shifted to her side and curled under the light blankets. After a few more minutes of turning the neatly made bed into a battlefield she gave up the fight and accepted the fact that she would be losing a couple hours of sleep.

She sighed as she crept fully out of the covers and set her feet on the cold ground. She hefted herself into a standing position and dressed for the day. A fishnet shirt followed by a pale lavender dress wrapped themselves around her lithe body. She donned the rest of her unique outfit and ran her hands through her spiky hair trying to make it poof out more.

She strode to the door her steps faltered before the innocent barrier. _'Why am I getting such a sense of déjà vu?'_ She shook her head free of doubts and with one last tiny pause opened the door and traveled as silently as she could down the stairs. Kankuro and Gaara were already seated and halfway through their meal.

On a side table sat an untouched bowl, waiting for the kunoichi. Temari picked it up on her way to the table, placing herself a couple seats away from her male companions. The strange nagging feeling hit her with more force, but she ignored it and the confused glances that the older of the two kept sending her.

Temari concentrated on her bland food, practically forcing the sustenance down her throat. A breeze filtered in through an open window and sand rolled across the table. She jumped back from it startled, her dream coming back to her with full force. Her movement caused her chopsticks to land with an audible thump on the table. This earned her a disgusted look from Gaara himself.

_'Calm down. It wasn't him. It was the wind. Sand is always where he is. It doesn't mean it is dangerous.'_ She mentally slowed her heartbeat back to its normal rhythm. _'He doesn't always control it. Just calm down he won't kill you. He doesn't have a reason to. I hope.'_ The rest of the meal ended in silence until Gaara stood and departed through the front door.

Kankuro followed swiftly leaving Temari to pick up her fan and leap onto the rooftops alone. The return trip lacked the blinding speed of the first and Temari did not even bother to catch up with her siblings. By nightfall she had lost all sense of them and had slowed to a normal walk.

The trees thinned and dunes replaced majestic foliage. Wind caressed her face as if welcoming her home. Instead of taking the direction that would lead her to the Hidden Village of Sand she turned slightly more to the east and towards her precious oasis. Temari just wanted to be alone. Completely alone with her treacherous thoughts and her unforgiving guilt.

_**A/N:**_ Thanks for the enthusiastic response to my little tale. As always I live for reviews and shall perish without them.


	4. Oasis

**_Disclaimer:_** I hate these things.

The oasis was as calm as always, it was protected from the dry, desert winds by high cliffs on the north and east sides. A cool waterfall trickled down from overhead misting the pool underneath. Temari placed her fan and shoes under a nearby tree and settled herself by a calm edge of the pond. The sun drew orange and pink lines across the cooling sand and settled gently at the edge of the world.

Her reflection gazed back at her, the image disturbed by ripples in the water caused by the falling droplets. She felt pleasantly drowsy, as if she had just completed a strenuous bout of training. _'Strange, I've felt so tired all day'_

She allowed her fingertips to graze the water's surface, distorting her image further. Her unfocused eyes went past the water to the sandy bottom. A shadow fell over her and she turned around, expecting to see Kankuro waiting to tell her to get home.

"Isn't it a little dangerous for you to be so far from Konoha? They might think you are going to betray them again." She was pleased at her quick opening line. Dark eyes narrowed at her before their owner forcibly changed his expression to one of cool contemplation.

"I could not pass up this chance." His voice was deep, carefully measured amounts of nonchalance and condescending sarcasm blended into a sensual tone.

"What chance?" She leapt onto her feet and suddenly becoming wary of the uninvited guest.

"To speak to you, _without_ that brother of yours interrupting." She backed up a couple steps, towards her faithful weapon, before a sharp pain sliced through her heel. She glanced down in surprise to find metal imbedded in the sand. _'Makibishi? When did he have time to plant those?'_ Temari looked back up with a glare to find him considerably closer.

"Stay away from me." Pain shot up her leg as she rested her foot on the warm sand, hoping that the grains would staunch the bleeding.

"That is the last thing I want to do." She jumped to the side, intending to make a run for it around him. Sasuke slid an arm around her waist and brought her to an abrupt halt with her arms behind her back and her mouth covered by his hand. She tried to bite down on his fingers, but his hand kept her entire jaw still.

"Now that I have you in a more agreeable position... we can talk." His breath crept around the shell of her ear and caressed her face. "I've been thinking about you..." Temari tried to turn and look at the Leaf-nin in disbelief but even the slightest movements made her want to wince. She felt the Uchiha take a deep breath.

"What did I do to get you interested in me?" Calloused fingers made small sweeping motions up and down her cheek. Her breathing hitched as warm lips descended on the side of her neck, nuzzling into her flesh.

"Try releasing me and we will see how things evolve from there." Temari was quite proud that her voice only shook for the first word. The grip on her arms loosened and they tingled as blood rushed back full force into her neglected veins. She wriggled her fingers to promote the circulation.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." Black eyes watched her as she struggled to maintain her composure.

"Will you move so I can get my shoes?" Sasuke backed off, clearing the way with a brush of his sandal against the hidden steel. Temari walked past him with more confidence than she thought possible. Sasuke simply stared as she strapped on her sandals and put her fan in its place.

"Meet me here again?" The question caught her off guard and before she could stop herself she found her mind considering the proposal.

"No." Her hesitation did not go unnoticed and Sasuke leapt before her doubt could leave her.

"Why not?" Those eagle eyes pierced her as surely as any weapon. She had to be careful with her words from now on. _'I bet as soon as I mention Gaara he will back off.'_

"Gaara wouldn't like it."

"Does he need to know?"

'_Well that idea didn't work.'_ "He would figure it out anyway."

"Why would he care? He's just your brother. It isn't like he has any real love for you anyway. He isn't capable of it."

"I...aa.." Temari bit her lip as she tried to figure out a way to defend her sibling.

"Are you afraid of him?"

"No!" The vehemence in her voice surprised her even as her mind chided her for lying.

"I can see it in your eyes... You are afraid to get close to me because you are afraid of him." His face was triumphant - as if he knew he was close to completing a difficult mission and would come out unscathed.

"You know nothing about us." Sasuke closed in until she was trapped against the tree. His eyes were drilled holes into her face, their intense gaze slipping slowly down to her mouth. He lowered his head and mimicked her own biting movements on her abused lips. Temari gasped and Sasuke dove in her warm mouth.

A tingling sensation spread. Her eyes fluttered closed as she allowed Sasuke to plunder her virgin lips. As first kisses go, this one wasn't bad. Temari felt a growing unease grow in the pit of her stomach as the pleasant feeling receded, along with Sasuke's lips.

"I guess I was wrong about your brother not interrupting us here."

_**A/N:**_ Such a sneaky bastard! (grins) Sorry for the long wait I had to wait for my beta to get on-line! (gets smacked) And I guess it was partially my fault for not coming up with a good idea.  
  
_**Meko**_ (da beta): P!!! damn right it's your own fault!!


	5. Oh, There he is

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: I am just getting so uninspired...I think I need more Peanut M&M's.

-------------------------------------------Chapter 5------------------------------------------

"I guess I was wrong about your brother not interrupting us here."

Temari's blood ran cold as she recognized the chilling anger surrounding them. It seeped through the space between their bodies and leeched away whatever warmth Sasuke might have been providing her.

They stood frozen in time, the only movements provided by the wind in their hair and clothing. Temari desperately did not want to look and confirm what her racing heart already knew. She willed herself not to glance over to the source of the icy fury, but the temptation was just too great.

Slowly she moved her eyes away from the Uchiha's face and to what should have been unoccupied space on her left side. Guilt filled eyes were trapped by jade green orbs that looked like they were about to burst with anger.

"Get away from my sister." Every word was pronounced carefully, each sounding like a sentence on their own. Sasuke's answer was to pull her closer and put his head on her shoulder. If Temari had not been frozen still they would have presented the picture perfect couple.

"Why should I?" He taunted. It was common knowledge that this particular Uchiha loved a challenge and clearly he wanted to start a fight. A battle that, no matter how confident in his abilities the Uchiha was, he would be sure to lose. The only thing that could defeat Gaara was another demon and though the Uchiha was tormented by inner demons of the past, they did not help in situations like this.

"If you refuse to release her, I will release your hold on life." Temari placed her hands over Sasuke's and gently removed herself from his embrace. She knew she had to do something before Sasuke got hurt or, if her brother got his way, killed. She had the perfect response that would leave everyone happy.

She opened her mouth to speak. "Gaara I-..."

She was cut off by the intensity of the sand-nin's gaze. Her voice refused to surface and she had to admit defeat. Her well thought recovery was gone, her mind wiped blank by the pure hatred in Gaara's eyes.

'_He has never looked at me with that expression before.'_ Temari stiffened as she felt Sasuke draw closer to her and his arm wrapped around her waist. She wanted to run far, far away where she would not have to see the consequences of this fight.

"Can't you see that you are not welcome here?" Sasuke's voice was low and almost as menacing as Gaara's. "Look, your sister wants me here. It is obvious since she doesn't push me away. You are the one who is causing a disturbance."

Sasuke spoke as if he was talking to a petulant child. Gaara's eyes narrowed at the confident statement. The sand leapt towards the Leaf shinobi. The brown mass hurtling through the air skillfully, controlled by Gaara's will.

"No!" Temari used her body as a wall between the crushing sand and Sasuke. She had absolute faith that Gaara would not hurt her if he did not have to. He was not that close to transforming. He still had reasonable sanity behind his flashing eyes. The sand halted three inches before her trembling form. "Don't hurt him..."

"You want him to be here?" The question was delivered without emotion, and yet it was poignant all the same. A life depended on Temari's answer.

"Yes." The word was spoken so softly that Sasuke, who was right beside her, had to strain to hear it.

"If you hurt her, Uchiha, I will kill you." With that he disappeared in a whirlwind of sand. Temari felt the tension drain out of her body as she fell to her knees. Sasuke knelt beside her.

"So... you want me here?" A calloused finger ran up and down her cheek, caressing the smooth skin.

"I was saving your life." Temari jerked her face away from the light touch, overcome with anxiety over what her brother was going to do. _'In that kind of state he could do anything... I'd better find him before some unsuspecting person gets hurt...'_

"I think you want me to be here." His comment broke her concentration and she looked over - startled since she had forgotten he was even there. Then what he said ran through her mind, dragging the along the implications of it.

Temari's eyes flashed and she lunged towards Sasuke, her intent to harm radiating from her face. Sasuke caught her hands and before she knew it she was pinned beneath him. She struggled to get out of the compromising position.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you..." Sasuke nibbled at her earlobe and kissed down her neck.

"You arrogant bastard!" She renewed her fight for freedom. Sasuke simply bit harder on her ear, breaking the delicate skin. Temari winced and stilled.

"I told you not to do that."

She could feel him lapping up the blood that flowed from her small wound. _'What did I get myself into?'_

_A/n: Sorry about the long update time...but it was really my beta's fault! I swear.....!_


	6. Broken Images

Disclaimer: Not mine!

                                                                       **Sand and Wind**

**                                                                           Chapter 6**

       Temari did not know how long she had been lying on the sand. The sun had seemed to pass more than a couple times. At some point during the first night Sasuke had left her. He had broken her a couple times. Her mind had slipped into a wonderful world where she could not feel her body.

       If she could not feel it then it obviously did not matter. The sun baked her exposed skin, blistering the abused body exactly as it had done the day before that, and the day before that. Her eyes stared into the blue sky barely blinking when the wind blew sand over the delicate face.

       Shadows from the clouds came and went bringing blessed relief to the body as the mind continued to hide. Once or twice during the dark of night a small rain dampened the sand covering her with a slight shield. The burning light rose once again to torment her skin. A shadow blocked the sun once again. It was too dark to be a cloud. Her eyes focused slightly and she became aware of a face leaning over her.

       '_Do I know him?'_ Confusion held sway over any other emotion. She felt herself being lifted from her bed of sand and the sound of wind filled her ears as the one who found her sprinted away. He smelled good. Warm like the desert and tangy like spices. She turned her head slightly and nestled her sunburned face into his shoulder.

       Her dry eyes closed and finally rested after their ordeal. The darkness was welcome and her body relaxed. Suddenly the air felt slightly cooler and she heard a door click behind them. She was lowered onto a soft surface and was then left alone as her carrier went to another room.

       She could hear the sounds of jars clicking against each other and water hitting porcelain. Before he reentered the room she concentrated on covering her exposed body. Her hand encountered cloth instead of the bare flesh she had been expecting. Her clothes had been wrapped around her as if she was a baby.

       The dress was unsalvageable and her fishnet shirt was gone. The boy came back and she felt a cool cream being rubbed into her feet. He spread the soothing balm upwards until he had covered her whole body. She felt slight tugs at her head as he released her hair and brushed it out with his fingers.

      "Why did you let him do this Temari?" The boy had a deep voice and it soothed her just like the balm. It never occurred to her that she should cover her body while he was there. It was just too comfortable where she was.

       "Answer me." Temari lifted her heavy eyelids and looked at her brother's face. She opened her mouth to speak but a callused finger was placed on her lips.

       "Wait." Her brother stared at his finger lying innocently on her lips. "Will your answer make me want to kill him more?" Temari nodded as best she could without dislodging the digit on her mouth. Her rescuer shook his head and the finger started to slip off.

       So she did the only natural thing. She opened her mouth and caught the tip in her teeth. Gaara looked shocked and his whole body froze. Her tongue traced his fingernail and her teeth loosened just enough for her to suck his finger farther in. She licked on the pad of his finger before she became aware of his trembling.

       Luckily for her the trembling had her teeth retract from around the finger just before it was yanked out of her mouth. Gaara stared at her for a second longer before he spun on his heel and disappeared out the door. She wanted to follow him, but the taste of his skin on her tongue and the comfort of the futon lulled her into a deep nurturing sleep.

       The sun danced over Temari's closed eyelids and she flinched as the remembered damage flared back into painful reality. Her limbs burned as she tried to coax movement out of them. Slowly she rose into a sitting position wincing as the cloth covering the futon dragged against her newly formed bruises.

     Quick pictures of what happened before she blacked out flashed in her mind's eye. There were many close up shots of Sasuke. There he was making seals for his fire jutsu. Another showed him slinging kunai in her direction.

       The last comprehendible one showed his face about five inches from her own visage. This particular image burned into her retinas. A slow stream of blood coursed out of his broken nose and his eyes burned red. Little black dots whirled so fast that they blurred into a stripe of black.

_'So I finally saw the Sharingan up close.'_ She could not say that she enjoyed the experience and she defiantly did not want to again. Now all there was left to do would be to wonder what happened after she blacked out.

A/N: Sorry about the long update times...you can start cursing my English teacher now since for the past week or so she has been making me fill my time with writing essays about metal detectors and the me if you wish to send her hate mail.


	7. Seeing Double

A/N: I know so far this has all been in Temari's point of view but considering she is unconscious then it would be rather boring from her mind.

Gaara slipped out of the spare room and attempted to get his face under control. He was fixing the sash for his gourd when a hand made itself noticed on his shoulder. He turned to find mint green eyes glaring angrily at his own. He bit his lip angrily suppressing the instinctive yelp of fear.

"Drop it." Gaara's double had a resonantly deep voice that commanded respect and maybe a hint of fear. He felt himself being pressed into the door by a pale arm identical to his own. A puff of smoke revealed not blood red hair, but instead black.

Green had turned into ebony which in turn was starting to bleed into red. Gaara slapped the perfect face and watched with pleasure as shock killed the blossoming Sharingan. Sasuke was a bit dazed by the force of the blow.

"Get out." Gaara dropped Sasuke to the floor and knelt down beside him. After a few moments of watching him catch his breath Gaara leaned in beside Sasuke's ear. His breath grazed against Sasuke's cheek before he finally decided to speak.

"Whatever you think you are doing here…Stop it. Or I will kill you." Gaara rose and entered the room where his sister lay. His threat had been expected and a small part of the black haired boy's thoughts were gloating over how he could predict Gaara's every thought. Sasuke took the chance to dash out before the demon holder found the damages his sibling had sustained.

Sasuke was a blur as he leapt into the desert heading straight towards the forest. In his mind a single sentence blurred into one word. 'Power.' He was going to accomplish his lifelong task. And that demon was going to help him whether it wanted to or not. He just needed more power to get the vessel under control. If all else failed he could always use the girl again. He had seen the look in Gaara's eyes as he inadvertently protected his sibling. Sasuke was going to use that look to his full advantage.

Gaara stood outside the room. The door was slightly ajar and he could hear someone breathing. The heavy breaths seemed to choke the room's occupant. He reached out and pushed the door all the way open. Temari lay half off the couch her dress covering her lower half but it did not have enough material to cover the top. Her skin was badly burned and there were bruises everywhere. The dress was in worse condition than its wearer.

Gaara took a step forward and inspected a rather large one on her neck. His eyes narrowed when he realized what kind of bruise that particular one was. Someone had staked a claim on his sister's body. The wheels of his mind turned as he noticed that someone had also spread aloe over her sunburn in a pathetic attempt to heal it. Someone using his hands had done that. His mind raced over different ways to kill that damned Uchiha. 'He was using my form to take care of her. Why? What comfort could she derive from me?'

He was interrupted by a move from Temari. The girl whimpered and started thrashing against an invisible opponent. Without thinking Gaara quickly pinned her to the futon with his hands clutching her wrists down by her waist. She continued to struggle crying out when she happened to rub a burn against the soft mattress.

"Wake up." His voice was low pitched, but his tone left no room for argument. She stilled beneath him and cracked open one of her dark eyes. Gaara loosened his grip and noticed that new bruises were starting to form on her wrists. He stood and tilted his head down at her. His eyes were calculating and she could tell that he was not really looking at her.

"Where…" Her question was cut off by a body shaking cough. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Where am I?" Her voice cracked as her throat protested the fact that it was being used for more than whimpers.

"A hotel." His short answer gave much to be desired. She waited for a second or two for him to elaborate and sighed when it became apparent that he was not going to. Temari struggled to a sitting position before realizing what kind of a show she was putting on for her sibling.

Her face flushed and even brighter red as she snatched up her dress to cover herself. She belatedly realized that she could have been stark naked in front of him and he still would not have cared.

Sheepishly she raised her eyes to his face to find that he had stopped paying attention to her. His gaze was drawn out the window behind her. She inspected Gaara for a second as his attention was placed away from her. He seemed different from before. 'Obviously he has reverted back to his old state.' Finally her curiosity got the better of her and she had to ask.

"What are you looking at?" She twisted around to see before a hand was placed over her eyes. His hand was warm and a few grains of sand rubbed against her temple. Her breath hitched as she realized that this was the first time he touched her with his hands when he could have just as easily used sand to block her sight.

"You would not want to see this." Her curiosity grew stronger and she pried his fingers away from her face. Shock swept through her as she saw what hung outside. Her beautiful fan was in tatters. The entire left side was soaked in blood and the supports for it were shattered leaving jagged stumps in their wake. She did not resist when Gaara turned her around.

Just as he was about to leave her arms shot out and twisted around his waist. He stood with a slight grimace on his face as he wondered why his sand had not attacked her. Gaara glanced down as he felt his shirt start to grow damp with her tears. Awkwardly he placed a hand on Temari's head. Uncertainty flickered across his face before he grasped her hair and yanked her away from him. He flung her back onto the futon and strode out of the room without a backward glance.

A/N: I am sorry it took so long. I had gotten a couple comments that Gaara had been slipping out of character and it gave me an idea so I changed the whole plot. As always please review…it makes me happy.


	8. Return to Life

**Sand and Wind**

**Chapter 8- Return to Life**

_A/N: This is for MysticMoon._

Loosing her fan could not have come at a worse time for her. It was the last straw that kept her on the futon with tears in her eyes. Her brother's cruel rejection only brought her mind back into focus. After Gaara had left she slowly made her way into the adjoining bathroom. Temari hissed as she saw her reflection. Large purple bruises surrounded by yellowing skin graced most of her form. Where the discolorations left off dry, red skin took over. She lowered her gaze and stared at her feet for the longest time.

For some reason the chipped paint on her toenails made her want to cry. She knelt down with a wince and inspected her foot. A small silver ring encircled her middle toe. Curious she removed the metal circle and inspected it. Etched faintly into the inner band were three words.

**You are mine.**

Nothing else. She threw the toe ring into the sink. The band bounced a couple of times; each landing was accompanied by a musical ting of metal against porcelain. She stripped off what was left of her clothing and stepped into the shower. She realized early on that only ice cold water could give her relief. The freezing stream cascaded over her skin both moistening and chilling her. Her eyes remained closed as she groped for shampoo. When her hand encountered a warm patch of skin instead of a smooth bottle, her black eyes snapped open.

Shock coursed through her system at the sight of the pale body before her. Lightly defined muscles rippled with power underneath almost translucent skin. Water dripped from crimson hair that had only begun to droop with moisture. Long fingers devoid of calluses reached for her. Temari could not move even if she had wanted to. Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice screamed that this was not her brother.

Green eyes as cold as the water streaming from the showerhead regarded her nude form. The male's body could not hide its interest from her. As Temari caught a glimpse of the hardened member her immobility released. The distance between them widened as she forced herself to the wall.

"What are you doing in here?" Her voice shook as she received no response from her silent companion. He simply knelt and grasped her right foot. She felt his warm fingers in stark contrast to her chilled toes. Temari felt the band of silver sliding onto her toe before the motion of the other body pinned her to the wall she had been supporting herself on. His body placed only inches from hers kept her still just as effectively as his sand would.

"You are mine." His voice snarled out, contradicting his calm countenance. "Do not take that off again." Then she was alone once more. Shaken she slipped down the wall and hugged her knees to her now shivering body. Temari felt more violated now than she had from her experience with Sasuke. And Gaara had only touched her foot.

She drew in a huge breath of air and exhaled noisily. Temari gathered her strength and removed herself from the shower. Carefully she spread cream on her burns and went in search of clothing. She found that with some careful pinning and a decorative scarf, borrowed from the curtains, her ruined dress could at least cover enough to get her home.

She steeled her nerves and opened the window that her ruined fan hung out of. Carefully she drew the mangled weapon inside. It took some tedious movements, but finally it was safe leaning against the futon vaguely reminiscent of its owner's placement there.

The closer view almost broke her heart. The wood frame was cracked down to the base and most of the supporting beams were completely broken off. The heavy parchment that she had painstakingly infused with her own charka was soaked in blood, whether it was her own or Sasuke's she could not tell. The paper, now useless, hung listlessly from the splintered wood. The dots that had taken her hours to draw in circular perfection were now gone.

How had her fan gotten to this point? A quick flash and she could see Sasuke looming over her, using her own fan to shade them.

Her mind forcibly blanked out whatever had happened out at the oasis. She knew then that she would never be able to return there. As she carefully folded the remnants of her fan Gaara's odd behavior trickled into her thought process. Twice now he had completely broken out his shell and gotten closer to her than normal. True there had been something very odd in his eyes during those times. Temari gasped.

"Shukaku." She breathed out. That was it. Her brother's demon had been taking over her body. And it wanted her. Suddenly his behavior made sense. Except for the fact that she was sure that raccoons had no interest in human females. _'Unless he had been in a human male's body for over seventeen years.'_

Out of habit she slung her fan over her shoulder and grimaced as several slivers of wood entered her skin. She drew her lips into a thin line and jumped out of the second story window and leapt towards home.

A/N: I need some help here. Would someone who knows the annoying little details of this anime contact me on AIM? My screen name is FlameArchanist. I need someone to correct me before I post these things. My current beta is too busy with her boyfriend.


End file.
